선행과 구원의 연관성 연구

Why do religions emphasize good deeds like charity or love? What kind of relation are there between good deeds and salvation? Early Buddhism stresses that the deed of mortal cannot escape retribution. And deeds are intentional act, so those are representation of mind. Therefore an issue of mind raises its head before action. The extinction of ignorance and thirsty gives rise to good mind, and the good mind produces good deed. Mahāyāna Buddhism accentuates charity. It signifies that the mind of oneself sympathizes the mind of others. That is impossible unless one throws away attachment to oneself. The alms deed makes that possible. In Roman Catholicism Ten Commandments assert absolute worship to god. The transcendental merits devaluate worldly ones, so the mind can obtain calmness. Protestant claims the one can acquire salvation only by faith. And the salvation leads human to good deed.

In conclusion good deeds are not ways and means to mokṣa or grace, but identical with them in Early Buddhism and Mahāyāna Buddhism, and Roman Catholicism and Protestant.